Convocation 2025

Convocation 2025

Advancing Intelligence: Science, Ethics, and Exploration in the Age of AI

Caltech's annual convocation ceremony will take place on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Beckman Auditorium. Convocation marks the Institute's formal and official welcome to all incoming undergraduate and graduate students.

We invite all members of the Caltech community—new and returning students, staff, faculty, and postdocs—to come together to celebrate the beginning of the academic year and to help welcome our new students. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. with all new students processing into Beckman Auditorium from the south end of Beckman Mall. Current faculty, staff, students, and postdocs are encouraged to arrive by 8:45 a.m. to take their seats in the auditorium and be part of the warm welcome for the incoming students as they enter the space.

This year's program, hosted by Vice President and Faculty Dean of Students Kevin M. Gilmartin, will feature a welcome from President Thomas F. Rosenbaum and a faculty panel discussion on artificial intelligence chaired by Frederick Eberhardt, Professor of Philosophy. Panelists include Katie Bouman, Associate Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences; Georgia Gkioxari, Assistant Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences; and Steve Chien, Senior Research Scientist at JPL. The discussion will introduce students to advances in AI research at Caltech, highlight how AI is used across disciplines, and offer guidance on its ethical use in academics and research.

A community brunch will follow immediately after the event on Beckman Mall.